Tips to Cope With Free-Floating Anxiety

Jakarta – Anxiety is a natural body response when facing stressful situations. But if uneasiness comes without a clear cause, it could be free-floating anxiety. 

As quoted from Healthline, the American Psychological Association describes free-floating anxiety as a diffuse, chronic sense of uneasiness and apprehension that is not directed toward any specific situation or object.

Marking as a symptom of generalized anxiety disorder, this condition tends to be annoying because it can suddenly appear.

According to Mayo Clinic, the symptoms include constant worry, overthinking plans and solutions to all possible worst-case outcomes, and perceiving situations and events as threats, among others.

The following are tips to overcome free-floating anxiety:

1. Breath slowly

Try to consciously slow your breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system so the body knows that the danger is over. You can inhale slowly for five seconds, exhale slowly for five seconds, pause for a moment, and then do it repeatedly.

2. Doing progressive muscle relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation can help you relearn how to feel tension and relaxation. Start by clenching your fist as hard as you can and hold it for five seconds, relax it, and then feel the sensation. You can do this exercise routinely for every muscle group.

With this exercise, you can later recognize muscle tension at the moment and switch it to a relaxed state at your will.

3. Listening to music

Listening to music can help reduce stress hormone levels and improve mood regardless of the genre.